Visas

Travel to China from the UK requires a visa (unless it's to Hong Kong). I spent some time getting the correct information together (it wasn't always available, but everyone pulled together and it all arrived). In England there are 2 places to get a China Visa: London and Manchester. In terms of time, they're pretty-much equidistant from Birmingham. However, peak-hours travel to London is £140 (+ tube travel) and you're only allowed on certain trains. To Manchester (by the most expensive route with no restrictions) it's £61 (and the visa office is a 5-minute walk from the station). Guess where I went?
Because I had to wait for the office to process the paperwork, I had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Science and industry. It isn't as good as Birmingham's was (before they ruined it) but it's sited in the oldest surviving railway station in the world and is a great place to visit. Particularly liked 'Underground Manchester' which is, largely, about sewers - still wondering how they got the smell ...

China

Somewhat to my surprise, I've got a scholarship to spend 3 weeks on a cultural/language exchange in Wuhan, PR China. Delightfully (!) I get to fly Aeroflot via Moscow [some of you may remember my last rip via Moscow -- I really hope that this isn't a repeat).

Temperatures in Wuhan may be 45C, which will be interesting.

All have to do now is get a visa!

UpDate

Got a LOT of the digging done -- moved many barrows of hardcore and soil (lucky the garden's big enough to hide it away). Still some work tod do before we start paving -- maybe next weekend...

Dinner was GOOD - the asparagus is truly excellent at the moment (with a little melted butter and salt from the Camargue) - the duck (with garlic mash, peas and rhubarb & wine sauce) was pretty damn good, a little Cheshire cheese and then an orange & lemon soufflé--- YUM!

Bank Holiday Weekend

Off to a traditional start - rained all day yesterday!

Plans for today include continuing to demolish the steps from the patio to the lawn (they cover a huge area of, potentially, useful patio). This is a biggish task that will involve moving a few tons of earth and concrete.

Oh, my aching back (and that's just thinking about it!).

Dinner plans: well, there's lots of home-grown asparagus (for US readers, English asparagus has more flavour than any from the New World, because of its slow growth) so I'll probably serve that with a poached egg yolk. Then there's some duck in the fridge, so I'll roast that with peas and a red wine sauce + (maybe) some rhubarb, then Ali's going to do a soufflé!

PIXEL

We got Pixel from a cat rescue centre 19 years ago (we got her sister Killie [Killashandra Re, really] at the same time, but she died a few years ago).

Apparently, Pix spent the first 7 months of her life locked in a shed. When she came to us she had clearly been abused and didn't like people too much.BUT she had a wonderful purr - that was the reason we took her really.

She was a very loving cat, except she wouldn't let you pick her up (well you could, but you had to have a good reason). She was always gentle (apart from beating-up a dalmatian many years ago).

Anyway, Pix had to be put to sleep last friday: she'd stopped eating and really wasn't happy. I don't think I subscribe to the idea of animal souls (nor human either), but she was a wonderful pet and we're going to miss her.

The Great Leveller

If I should die before the rest of you
Break not a flower nor inscribe a stone
Nor, when I'm gone, speak in a Sunday voice,
But be the usual selves that I have known.
Weep if you must
Parting is hell.
But life goes on.
So sing as well.

Instead of a holiday

Have been decorating the lounge - it's gone from grey to a sort of light terracotta - curtains will be black!

This represents nearly 3 days work, but it does look nice! Need to change the centre light, but can't find one I like. Have decided to swap with the one in the dining room.

However, I'd rather be in Lyon!

The Good News

It looks as though I'll get the cost of the holiday refunded! Hooray!

Home and away ...

We couldn't fly on Friday, of course (and the skies are still closed). Went to Bristol for a long weekend instead. Nice hotel - except for the noise of the band! So moved rooms at 11:30 pm. Moved again the next day for a better room (at least got a free breakfast out of it).

Generally, I like Bristol: full of life and some nice (and not-so-nice) restaurants.

Ate at Riverstation on Friday: good food (quite posh and niceley presented) with some decent ingredients and a good - not expensive - wine list. Pretty much the same story for Saturday at the Glass Boat (well, more Italian, really). However, Sunday was a different story. Went to the Severn Shed (VERY popular) -- terrible sloppy service and I thought the food was poor. Has a semi-open kitchen -- it was interesting tio watch the 'chef' drinking several pints of beer (I think) while preparing food --- not a great advert and my advice is stay away!

Volcanoes?

Due to fly from BHX to LYS tomorrow. So far, Birmingham airport has been closed since about 07:00 today. Current reports are that it may reopen at 07:00 tomorrow. Flight's at 11:30 -- what chance do you think?

I'm probably among the fortunate ones really, chances are that I'll get my money back (booked the flight and hotel together, so it constitutes a 'package holiday') --- however, that won't get me to Lyon.

I thought about a lot of things that could happen to prevent me going (traffic, breakdowns, punctures, terrorists) the idea of a volcanic ash cloud just didn't occur to me!